Buttery, jam-topped ribbons, spiraled pinwheels, crisp biscotti ― what all of the cookies in this chapter have in common is that they are sliced either before or after baking into uniform shapes. This makes them especially well suited to displaying on a holiday cookie platter or wrapping in pretty packages to give as gifts.

Helpful hints:

• Use a large, sharp knife to slice chilled cookie dough. A sharp, serrated bread knife works well for slicing firm baked cookies such as biscotti.

• If round cookies flatten on one side when you slice the dough, gently reshape them with your fingers before baking.

• The dough for these cookies can be chilled for up to a week or frozen for up to a month, allowing you to slice and bake the cookies fresh as you need them.